OUR CULTURE, OUR WAY OF LIFE
By Chidimma Placid Nwaka
INTRODUCTION
Culture is defined by the attributes that make it honored and respected from one generation to another. It is the way of life of a people in a geographical setting. Culture is a beautiful reflection that tells about a tribe, region, city, village, town, territory, or nation. It provides details of what is held important and how people live their lives, whether simple or sophisticated, bothered or unbothered.
In this article, the different cultures of different people will be explored, and their uniqueness identified.
CULTURE AND ITS IMPORTANCE
Culture is an attractive blend of different arts that adds color to a specific group of people. It is not only based on a tribe or country; workplaces, schools, and institutions have their own cultures that present value and appreciation. In a quick one, culture is everywhere, irrespective of class or size. Even families have their own culture that everyone holds with importance.
The importance of culture is to shape our lives and present the value of lifestyle. Many tourists have traveled across the world to see different cultures, appreciate them with admiration, and write about their uniqueness.
Even animals and organisms are cultured. That is why zoologists and veterinarians research to know their anatomy and culture to avoid confusion and problems.
Everything about life is culture. Indeed, it is a lifestyle and not a phenomenon. As time changes, some cultures are compromised to fit into the contemporary era, while others are forgotten. This has become a threat to culture as it fades slowly.
THE WESTERN CULTURE
In the 1800s, the Westerners came to Africa and Asia with three Cs: Colonization, Christianity, and Commercialization. These three Cs were successfully practiced in Africa and some parts of Asia.
The Westerners did not only bring the three Cs; they also brought the Western culture, which in our contemporary society has become a threat to our dynasty.
In westernization, the whites take everything out of simplicity, whether in dressing, lifestyle, or morality.
After successful colonization and independence in different third-world countries of Africa, the Westerners did not go permanently. They left their culture in the people. Many African cultures were dismissed out of ignorance, except those that were renewed to conform to the Western society.
In the Western world, engagement rings are offered as a sign of betrothal. The value of sexual life is not fully honored by Westerners, as intimacy could happen before marriage.
Instead of copying the simplicity of the whites, Africans often adopt the negative aspects of Western culture. In the Western world, parents rarely scold or flog their children when they misbehave, to protect them from depression. They are also open to drinking alcohol. A writer once expressed how Africa’s local gin, “Ogogoro,” was rejected for American and British gin.
When it comes to food and art, the Westerners prefer baked foods and vegetables, unlike Africans, whose meals are prepared carefully and often take hours.
However, the Westerners are known for their high value in formal education and research.
AFRICA, A TAPESTRY OF CULTURE
African history holds a rich tapestry of culture and values. Known for empathy, border wars, tribal clashes, hunting expeditions, and titles, Africa is a world of sophisticated culture where everything comes alive. The famous Mike Ejeagha music, Fela Kuti’s strings, folktales, lores, dances, and masquerades all tell the African story. It is said that Africans are bound together by ceremonies that bring love and make them forget tribal differences.
The beauty of Africa is expressed in its culture. In our contemporary society, African culture has influenced the Western world and beyond. Africa is known for a rich history where children respect elders, and women are submissive to their husbands.
A culture where beads and ankara, arts and crafts, music and displays are highly honored. Every day is a festive season as Africans believe in celebration, even at funerals.
In the past, in the Igbo culture, women with dignity were highly respected. Marrying a virgin was an honor to her father, as his in-laws would send him ten kegs of palm wine and two healthy goats as appreciation for raising a daughter of dignity. Africans were not known for rings as a symbol of marriage. There was no engagement ring saga, as a man who wished to marry a woman would visit her family with his kinsmen to make his pronouncement.
When it comes to art and craft, Africa holds a wealth of talent. From the south, east, west, and north, the cultural tapestry remains rich and continues to influence many countries across the globe.
DECAY OF AFRICAN CULTURE
History shows that Africans had a rich culture before colonization, and it was appreciated and respected by our ancestors. Our food was rich in nutrients, and our lives were simple and less hazardous. But after colonization, some of these cultures faded slowly as many Africans admired Western ways.
Some of these changes appeared in dressing, as Africans began to prefer British shirts and trousers to their traditional Ankara and abananya. Thanks to many who still wear traditional attire at weddings and carnivals. In the Igbo culture, the akwete fabric was fading, but today, a few Igbos in Aba and other states have revived it.
Africans, especially Nigerians, once considered virginity a valuable virtue of a woman. Women who gave birth out of wedlock were seen as a shame to their parents. In contemporary society, however, Africa has forgotten this uniqueness, as the spread of sexual immorality increases. Only a few young women have remained faithful to this belief, strengthened by Christianity and Islam.
Respect for elders was once highly valued, and folktales were told under the moonlight by elderly men. Unfortunately, many children today do not know African folktales or appreciate our traditional instruments. Titles were not bought with money but earned through merit.
The decay in our culture is numerous. Africans rarely appreciate their foods, seeing them as local, and prefer eating foreign meals. Many now use forks instead of their hands to eat eba and drink foreign alcohol while looking down on fresh palm wine.
Food is abused as elders eat greedily while the young go hungry. Injustice has become normalized in Africa. Honesty and fairness have faded, becoming only a story to tell.
BRINGING BACK CULTURE AND CONCLUSION
Some years ago, His Excellency Donald Duke brought joy to the people of Calabar in southern Nigeria by hosting the Calabar Carnival, which reminded Africans of their rich cultural tapestry.
The carnival gained international attention and was broadcast on BBC News. For years, it has remained one of the most colorful celebrations in Calabar.
The Yoruba people of Nigeria, rich in dynasties, still celebrate their Oba every year. The Igbos, along with the northerners, have also revived many aspects of African culture that are now recognized internationally.
Several institutions are bringing parts of these cultures back to life to educate children about their roots and help them read and write in their native languages.
Beyond teaching roots and crafts, young people should understand that life is not centered on the opposite sex. There is much to achieve, and the essence of sanity and dignity is not just to please a spouse but to honor our parents.
In conclusion, Africa will rise again if we learn to love one another as our past heroes and ancestors did. Then we will be stronger once more.
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